Snow-white curtains, crisp white linen sheets on a hospital bed, Allen stared at his surroundings and quickly realized where he was. He'd been sent to the school infirmary.
Although it was obvious that young Mandrakes were incapable of harming a person's soul, Professor Sprout had still sent Allen to the infirmary out of concern for her student.
After waking up, Allen realized how weak he felt, so weak, in fact, that he couldn't even sit up.
Seriously? From a Mandrake's scream? he thought, refusing to believe it.
He tried to move, defiant, but it was completely futile, and ended up alerting Madam Pomfrey in the process.
"Oh, you're awake, dear?" Madam Pomfrey gently stopped him from trying to move further.
"Don't push yourself, child. To help you rest better, I gave you a small dose of Draught of Living Death. You woke up earlier than expected, the effects haven't fully worn off yet. I suggest you close your eyes and get some more sleep."
Allen had no choice but to follow her advice. In fact, had it not been for his own vigilance, he likely wouldn't have woken up yet at all.
When he woke again, it was already evening. The potion's effects had completely faded, and he felt fully recharged, he even had the urge to shout, I'm back!
Unfortunately, that triumphant feeling was a bit like a retouched photo online, glossy and idealized. The reality, like an unfiltered picture, was far less pleasant.
Because the truth was… he wasn't allowed to leave the hospital wing at all.
According to Madam Pomfrey, he was utterly exhausted, far more than any twelve-year-old wizard should be. With Professor Sprout's approval, he was ordered to remain in the infirmary for a full week.
Thankfully, he was still allowed visitors. Otherwise, Allen would've been bored out of his mind, especially since, on Madam Pomfrey's orders, he wasn't even allowed to read!
But what troubled him most wasn't the boredom, it was the Room of Requirement. Going back to his dormitory and then heading there again would waste precious time compared to starting directly from the common room. This made him acutely aware of his system not yet reaching Level 2, he suspected that a teleportation feature would unlock at that level.
For now, though, he could only dream. Thankfully, with a True Sight ward already in place, things shouldn't get too out of hand. Once he saw the culprit's face, catching them on the spot wasn't strictly necessary, he had no problem launching a sneak attack and casting Obliviate.
To keep him company, his friends came to visit during the scheduled visiting hours, his fellow Hufflepuffs, Annie, his former Quidditch teammates, and even the Weasley twins.
During one of these visits, Allen finally got the full version of the story that had been circulating around Hufflepuff, the one about how someone had actually made Professor Sprout lose her temper.
It was a first-year named Selma Liang, a half-blood with an unusual name that reminded people of Cho Chang.
Selma was a textbook Hufflepuff, why? Because she was the most enthusiastic foodie among the first years. Or in simpler terms, a total glutton.
She hadn't done anything malicious, really. During a makeup Herbology lesson, she'd pointed at a plant and whispered to her friend Mia, "Look, doesn't that herb look like celery?"
"Celery? What's that?"
"It's a Muggle vegetable. My dad taught me how to make pork and celery dumplings, a traditional dish from the East. If we can get some celery, I could cook a batch for our dorm this Friday. Trust me, it's unforgettable!"
Unfortunately, Professor Sprout overheard the whisper. The "celery" Selma had pointed at? It was wolfsbane, a toxic herb commonly used in insect-repelling potions, eating it would land someone straight in St. Mungo's.
What followed was a stern warning from Professor Sprout, and the story had everyone in the infirmary bursting into laughter, so much so that Madam Pomfrey had to cut the visit short.
One week later, Allen was finally discharged, and received some good news.
His so-called "extracurricular academic labor" (basically detention in disguise) had been canceled!
Professor Sprout had petitioned Dumbledore to lift the punishment, believing that Allen's hospitalization was directly caused by being overworked on the weekends. So, during his hospital stay, she officially revoked the punishment.
This meant Allen could now freely manage his schedule without having to cram in inherited knowledge between classes and just before bed.
To be honest, if not for this forced break, Allen wouldn't have realized just how close he'd come to collapsing. As Madam Pomfrey put it, his body was this close to giving out.
Without this incident serving as a wake-up call, a week of rest wouldn't have been enough, once all the accumulated exhaustion hit him at once, he could've been bedridden for a month. In that sense, Allen was actually grateful for the unexpected event that forced him to acknowledge a danger he had brushed off.
After discharge, everything steadily moved in the right direction, except for one nagging issue: the thief never showed up.
A whole week passed with no sign of activity, as if the culprit had completely lost interest in the legacy hidden within the Room of Requirement.
All of Allen's preparations to ambush the thief had gone to waste. The no-show meant his whole "wait-and-catch" strategy had failed.
Now he was looking at a mountain of extra work, relying on vague clues with no clear timeline, and the worst part? He still had no idea what kind of erratic behavior the Horcrux's influence might cause.
Then a new possibility struck him: What if the thief is watching too?
Allen had been waiting to catch the thief, but maybe the thief had been watching him, trying to see if anyone had laid a trap.
Very possible! Allen clapped his hands together as inspiration hit him.
You like watching from afar, huh? Well, I've got just the trick.
Allen knew just the "global patch" to fix the plan, the Marauder's Map!
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